Pressurized automotive sanding device

ABSTRACT

For emergency braking or selective increased traction, an abrasive material, such as sand, is pressure discharged against one or more of the automotive wheels or driving surface adjacent the wheels, under manual or automatic control. The abrasive material and a liquid propellant for producing high pressure gas is contained within a separate easily replaceable cartridge having a nozzle end with a discharge opening sealed and blocked by a meltable plug. This container is spring inserted in a Ushaped bracket having a bottom aperture through which the nozzle extends and containing a heating coil for closely surrounding the plug area of the nozzle to selectively heat and melt the plug for release of the propellant and sand.

United States Patent 91 Hewitt June 17, 1975 [75] Inventor: John Kent Hewitt, West Hartford,

Conn.

[73] Assignee: John Kent Hewitt, West Hartford,

Conn.

[22] Filed: June 3, 1974 [21] Appl. No.2 475,935

[52] US. Cl. 291/1; 137/74; 169/42; 169/57; 220/201; 222/3; 222/54; 222/541;

[51] Int. Cl..... B60b 39/10; B610 15/10; B67b 7/00 [58] Field of Search 137/74; 169/37, 42, 57, 169/58; 220/201; 222/3, 4, 5, 54, 394, 541,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,784,323 12/1930 Wallace..... 291/38 X 2,244,302 6/1941 Lynn et a1 222/54 2,484,985 10/1949 Doud et a1. 291/25 2,498,164 2/1950 Hunziker 291/3 2,752,182 6/1956 Mermelstein 291/25 2,971,793 2/1961 Peterson et a1. 291/1 2,998,018 8/1961 Beck et a1 .Q 222/3 3,032,361 5/1962 Jones 291/25 3,052,253 9/1962 Priaroggia et al 137/74 3,336,064 8/1967 Dzaack 291/1 3,670,925 6/1972 Moyant 222/3 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 536,076 12/1957 Belgium 222/54 Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King Assistant ExaminerHoward Beltran Attorney, Agent, or FirmTh0mas E. Beall, Jr.

[5 7] ABSTRACT For emergency braking or selective increased traction, an abrasive material, such as sand, is pressure discharged against one or more of the automotive wheels or driving surface adjacent the wheels, under manual or automatic control. The abrasive material and a liquid propellant for producing high pressure gas is contained within a separate easily replaceable cartridge having a nozzle end with a discharge opening sealed and blocked by a meltable plug. This container is spring inserted in a U-shaped bracket having a bottom aperture through which the nozzle extends and containing a heating coil for closely surrounding the plug area of the nozzle to selectively heat and melt the plug for release of the propellant and sand.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 1 PRESSURIZED AUTOMOTIVE SANDING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Numerous sanding devices for railroad use and automotive use have been known, but such devices have numerous disadvantages that would greatly affect their commercial acceptance in the automotive industry where problems of ease of use, ease of assembly and replacement, economy, and reliability requirements are quite extreme.

Many such devices, including those primarily used for railroads and the like employ storage bins for sand or another abrasive material, which are opened to the environment so that the sand may pick up moisture from the environment and readily freeze solid during cold weather when the increased traction is most needed in the automotive field with respect to snow and ice. A sealed container to avoid this moisture problem is shown in the Doud U.S. Pat. No. 2,484,985, is sued Oct. 18, 1949, but this patent must have a sealed container pierced upon assembly, and further employs a mechanical valve, which features are susceptible to failure in view of the extreme environment closely adjacent the vehicle wheel where moisture, salt, and abrasives produce a very corrosive environment.

The Hunziker U.S. Pat. No. 2,498,164, issued Feb. 21, 1950 employs a plug, but such a plug is susceptible to being frozen in place due to the forementioned corrosive and dirty environment, since the plug has a mechanical friction release surface.

While the Peterson et a1. U.S. Pat. No. 2,971,793, issued Feb. 14, 1961 discloses a self-contained pressurized canister with a built-in valve, such is uneconomical and still subject to failure due to the corrosive and dirty environment in which it is placed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I meltable plug of a homogeneous low melting temperature material. This container is mounted in a U-shaped bracket that is resilient for easy insertion of the container, and further which has an aperture receiving therein the elongated discharge nozzle of the container. The aperture is surrounded with a stationary electric heating coil to selectively heat the adjacent meltable plug of the container to thereby discharge the sand to increase the traction between the automotive wheel and driving surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more clear from the following detailed description of the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention, with portions broken away and other portions schematically shown;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view through the lower plate of the mounting bracket, showing the nozzle receiving aperture and heating coil; and

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the container of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional automotive vehicle (not shown in detail) may have the present invention associated with one or more of its wheels. With respect to a four-wheeled automobile, the invention is preferably associated with either the two rear wheels or all four wheels, and separate control may be used for the rear wheels and for the front wheels. Since the invention is the same with respect to each of the wheels with which it is employed, the drawing illustrates the invention employed with only one wheel.

The wheel 1 is adjacent a body portion, which may be a portion of the frame or a portion of the sprung weight of the vehicle, such as a fender 2, to which is at tached the mounting bracket 3 by means of a bolt or the like. The mounting bracket 3 is generally U-shaped, with an upper arm 4 having its terminal end rigidly secured to the body portion 2, a generally vertically extending web portion 5, and a lower arm plate portion 6. Preferably, the arm and web 4, 5 are constructed of bent sheet spring material, so that the arms may be resiliently separated from each other for removal and replacement of the container mounted therein.

The lower plate 6 of the bracket, as shown in FIG. 2, has an aperture 7 centrally therein, which aperture includes an annular recess 8 for mounting therein an electric heating coil 9. One end (not shown) of the heating coil 9 extends at 10 to the illustrated screwtype connector on the side of the plate 6, for connection to an electrical lead wire 11 that is inturn connected to a battery 13 through the intermediary of a selectively closable switch 12. The other end (not shown) of the heating coil 9 is electrically connected to the ground of the automotive electrical system, preferably through the bracket 3 and body portion 2, as schematically shown at 14 in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the container 15 is of simple construction, and may be similar to a conventional aerosol can-type of construction, for containing a liquid propellant 16 and sand 17. The container 15 has a projecting nozzle portion 18 forming a discharge outlet that is blocked and sealed by a meltable plug 19, which meltable plug 19 is preferably constructed of a homogeneous low melting point material, such as a lead-bismuth alloy.

An empty container 15 may be easily removed from bracket 3 and a new container 15 may be easily inserted within the bracket 3 by spreading the arms 4 and 6 apart from each other, due to the inherent resiliency of the spring material of which the arms 4 and 5 are constructed. The nozzle portion 18 of the container extends within and tightly fits the aperture 7, so that the meltable plug 19 is surrounded by and closely adjacent the heating coil 9. Preferably the upper arm 4 will have bent portions or some other feature to securely hold the upper end of the container 15, although these features are not shown.

The switch 12 may be manually closed by the operater of the vehicle when increased traction is desired, or it may be automatically closed in response to a unit (not shown) that senses a skid. In any event, closure of the switch 12 will energize the electrical heating coil 9, which is of sufficient heating capacity to quickly heat the meltable plug 19 above its melting point so that the liquid propellant 16 will rapidly discharge the sand 17 through the nozzle 18 in the vicinity of the automotive wheel 1 and driving surface 20. Of course, the container in bracket 3 may be angled to direct the discharged sand underneath the wheel or in any other desired place where it will best function for the purposes available propellant, such as Freon, which is a liquid when pressurized within the container, but which is a gas at atmospheric pressure so that when the meltable plug is melted to release the contents of the container, the liquid propellant 16 will produce a high gas pressure discharging the sand rapidly through the nozzle 18. These containers may be mass produced very easily and spare containers may be stored in the trunk of the automobile for future use, and the containers may be of sufficient size that thay also may be easily stored in the glove compartment. The entire assembly has the advantage that there are no mechanical moving parts of any kind to become frozen in place and produce a malfunction of the device. The device may be factory installed on new vehicles or may be owner installed on existing vehicles, since its construction is quite simple and any means of mounting the bracket may be employed. Instead of sand, other types of abrasive or traction producing materials may be employed.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed in detail for purposes of illustration and for the advantages of the details themselves, further embodiments, modifications and variations are contemplated according to the broader aspects of the present invention, all is determined by the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for increasing the traction between a motor vehicle wheel and a driving surface, comprising; a sealed container containing therein a fluent abrasive material and means for producing a gas pressure within said sealed container substantially above that of atmospheric pressure; said sealed container having a discharge opening and a plug blocking and sealing said discharge opening; said plug being normally solid and meltable at a predetermined temperature above ambient; means for mounting said sealed containeradjacent a wheel of the vehicle and for positioning the opening to direct the abrasive material toward the traction surface in front of the wheel, with respect to the normal driving direction, when the abrasive material is discharged from the opening after melting and removal of said plug; electrical heating means for rapidly heating said plug above said predetermined temperature and melting said plug so as to permit the abrasive material and high pressure gases to be dispensed through said opening when energized; and means for selectively energizing said electricalheating means.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said container and plug are a self contained separate unit easily removed and replaced within said means for mounting.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said container has a projecting nozzle portion carrying therein said plug; said means for mounting includes a mounting bracket having a first stationary rigid portion with an aperture for receiving therein said nozzle portion and a second brace portion for engaging said container on its side opposite from said extension; and said electrical heating means includes an electric heating coil fixedly mounted with respect to said mounting bracket within said aperture for surrounding and being closely adjacent said nozzle portion.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said means for producing a gas pressure within said sealed container is a liquid propellant that is normally gaseous at atmospheric pressure.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said plug consists entirely of a homogeneous low melting point material filling said discharge opening.

6. The device of claim 1, said means for energizing including a manual control member mountable within the vicinity of the vehicle drivers compartment.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said container has a projecting nozzle portion carrying therein said plug; said means for mounting includes a mounting bracket having a first stationary rigid portion with an aperture for receiving therein said nozzle portion and a second brace portion for engaging said container on its side opposite from said extension; and said electrical heating means includes an electric heating coil fixedly mounted with respect to said mounting bracket within said aperture for surrounding and being closely adjacent said nozzle portion.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said means for producing a gas pressure within said sealed container is a liquid propellant that is normally gaseous at atmospheric pressure.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said plug consists entirely .of a homogeneous low melting point material filling said discharge opening. 

1. A device for increasing the traction between a motor vehicle wheel and a driving surface, comprising; a sealed container containing therein a fluent abrasive material and means for producing a gas pressure within said sealed container substantially above that of atmospheric pressure; said sealed container having a discharge opening and a plug blocking and sealing said discharge opening; said plug being normally solid and meltable at a predetermined temperature above ambient; means for mounting said sealed container adjacent a wheel of the vehicle and for positioning the opening to direct the abrasive material toward the traction surface in front of the wheel, with respect to the normal driving direction, when the abrasive material is discharged from the opening after melting and removal of said plug; electrical heating means for rapidly heating said plug above said predetermined temperature and melting said plug so as to permit the abrasive material and high pressure gases to be dispensed through said opening when energized; and means for selectively energizing said electrical heating means.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said container and plug are a self contained separate unit easily removed and replaced Within said means for mounting.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein said container has a projecting nozzle portion carrying therein said plug; said means for mounting includes a mounting bracket having a first stationary rigid portion with an aperture for receiving therein said nozzle portion and a second brace portion for engaging said container on its side opposite from said extension; and said electrical heating means includes an electric heating coil fixedly mounted with respect to said mounting bracket within said aperture for surrounding and being closely adjacent said nozzle portion.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein said means for producing a gas pressure within said sealed container is a liquid propellant that is normally gaseous at atmospheric pressure.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein said plug consists entirely of a homogeneous low melting point material filling said discharge opening.
 6. The device of claim 1, said means for energizing including a manual control member mountable within the vicinity of the vehicle driver''s compartment.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein said container has a projecting nozzle portion carrying therein said plug; said means for mounting includes a mounting bracket having a first stationary rigid portion with an aperture for receiving therein said nozzle portion and a second brace portion for engaging said container on its side opposite from said extension; and said electrical heating means includes an electric heating coil fixedly mounted with respect to said mounting bracket within said aperture for surrounding and being closely adjacent said nozzle portion.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein said means for producing a gas pressure within said sealed container is a liquid propellant that is normally gaseous at atmospheric pressure.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein said plug consists entirely of a homogeneous low melting point material filling said discharge opening. 